Urban Pastor LIVE!

6. NOT FOLLOWING THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret the Word.  Jesus told His disciples “when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). 

He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living.  He is the ultimate guide, going before, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things.  Without such a guide, we would be apt to fall into error. 

Sometimes when I’m facing a big decision, I try to acquire more information rather than seek God’s direction.  Here’s a fundamental principle to ponder: When we stop listening to God, He stops talking to us.  God stopped talking to Abraham for 13 years between the last verse of Genesis 16 and the first chapter of 17.  Sometimes, God requires us to take a step, in faith, before he reveals his plan.  Check out Joshua 3.

What happened in your life when you decided to yield to the Holy Spirit?

7. DWELLING ON THE “WORST CASE” SCENARIO. 

As one who recognizes the validity and importance of spiritual gifts, one of my dominate gifts is discernment.  

It can be a positive gift when God’s in control of my life.  However, when I try to take control, discernment can lead me towards sin.  The sin I’m referring to is called worry or anxiety.  I’ve wasted way too much time worrying about challenges or problems that never happened.  It has been said that “85% of what we worry about never happens.”  Man, with odds like these who can loose.  Personally, this is an area of vulnerability.  What’s yours?

Do you dwell on the “worst case scenario?” 

Leadership Guru, John Maxwell is known for saying: “Everything rises & falls on leadership.”  Even though I’ve been in various leadership roles for about 25 years now, I’m still learning what it takes to be a good leader.  Because of that, I feel awkward trying to tell other leaders how to lead because I’m still trying to figure it out myself.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a different spin with this post. With the help of some friends, I’ve compiled a list of the “10 Dumbest Leadership Mistakes I’ve Made.”

Read More

It appears I hit the right nerve judging from your response to “Getting To The Next Level.” Thank you for sharing the articles with others via Facebook and Twitter. I’m humbled and happy that others are able to experience what you have.  If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2, you can read them HERE and HERE.

Getting to the next level is a GOD-THING and not OUR-THING.  He alone determines who’s prepared and elevates them at the appropriated time.  No better person illustrates this important principle like Joshua.

According to The Book of Numbers, Moses and Aaron had disqualified themselves from entering the land of promise when they had failed to honor the Lord by striking the rock at Meribah in the Desert of Zin (Numbers 20:12). Aaron had already died (Numbers 20:27-29) but the Lord now allowed Moses a glimpse of Canaan from afar. Rather than lapsing into self-pity as a lesser man might have done, Moses expressed his concern that Israel have a good leader to take his place.

He implored the God of the spirits of all mankind to select this leader. This unusual title of God (occurring only here and in Num. 16:33) refers to God’s omniscient understanding of everyone, which guaranteed the wisdom of His choice. The leader, Moses said, should be like a shepherd who would lead Israel. The Lord’s response was immediate: Take Joshua son of Nun.

This Spirit-filled man, who had already demonstrated his qualities and capabilities, was an ideal successor to Moses. His appointment must be public, however, so the community would know Joshua was entitled to the same respect as Moses and was to have some of Moses’ authority. Joshua’s appointment answers the question: When is the right time for next level leadership.

When Is The Right Time for Next Level Leadership?

You may argue that Joshua was fortunate in that he knew his purpose on earth. Many of us spend a lifetime trying to figure that out. How do you know when it is time to step up into a next-level leadership role?  The answer is to prepare yourself for next-level leadership but to wait for it to be assigned to you.  In other words, don’t have an agenda of self promotion.

A good leader is focused on empowering others and they will see when you are ready for next-level leadership. In the meantime read up as much as you can on servant hearted leadership. Find a mentor to work with and encourage you. Spend time studying God’s word. These things will take your understanding of leadership to the next level.

Further Reading Inspiration and References:

Scripture verses:

1. Wait for appointment to next-level leadership – Proverbs 25:6-7
2. God appoints the next level of leadership– Numbers 27:15-19
3. Tools for next-level leadership – Romans 12:9-13
4. Fruit of next-level leadership – Galatians 5:22-24

Other Reading:

1. Developing Leaders Around You – John C. Maxwell
2. How the Mighty Fall. And Why Some Companies Never Give In – Jim Collins
3. A Force for Change – John P. Kotter

Monday’s post on getting to the next level created a lot of interest.  Although it’s not reflected in the comments section, I received several encouraging emails and text messages from people aspiring to get to the next level.  If you missed it, you can read it HERE.

When mentioning next-level leadership you may have the image of climbing a ladder to the top.  It may feel good to have a position of prominence. However, next- level leadership is not about promotion. It is about preparedness. Guess what: God alone decides who’s prepared and ready to go to the next level.

Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great.  It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Just because you’ve seen something, (Proverbs 25:6-7 New Living Translation).

Read More

No matter what you’re doing, there comes a time when you are going to want to take things up a notch.  Maybe it’s your career — even if things are going along fine right now, ultimately you’d like to get a promotion, increase your client base, or reach a larger audience.  ”Getting started with anything can be a struggle, but once you reach a certain level of success, it can be hard to figure out how to make whatever it is you do truly remarkable,” according to Lifehack.

Leadership books, blogs, conferences, and websites mainly talk about getting to the next level.  If you buy their book, read their blogs (including mine), attend their conferences, and peruse their websites - you’re well on your way to getting ‘there.’  Everyone desires to get to the next level, but many don’t know how.  Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet that works for everyone.  Today I’d like to share what kind of leadership is required to get to the next level.

What is the Next Level of Leadership?

Read More

Everybody makes mistakes. Yours can be a new beginning.

Sometimes your mistake in a relationship, with finances or work, is minor. Other times it can be life-changing. Either way, failure doesn’t have to be fatal. A Second Chance, shows you how God can transform your biggest mistake into a new beginning.  What a way to begin 2012!

 During this series I’ll share solid biblical insights, trustworthy wisdom, and practical strategies that’ll help you work through the guilt, suffering, and fear of your mess up.

Consequently, I’ll share numerous examples, from the Bible and recent history, to show you how God is in the business of redemption.  Additionally, I’ll share biblical strategies to turn your biggest mess into an incredible success.

Set your schedule NOW and don’t miss a Sunday or Wednesday during this series!  Join us each Sunday at Mars Hill at 8am or 10:30am and Wednesday’s at 7pm (Digging Deeper).  

A Second Chance will show you how to use your mistakes as a prelude to a fresh start in life.  This series will help anyone who’s had blow-ups, mess-ups or slip-ups.

Remember, failure is not an event but a judgment about an event.  Unfortunately, we often make the wrong judgments about our failures, which causes us to wallow in them rather than learn from them. 

A team is capable of accomplishing things that no individual, no matter how multi-talented, could do alone.  To function well:

A team must be committed to a common vision and purpose, and it must be willing to work in unity for the improvement of the whole rather than the advancement of any one member.

Synergism can be defined as the interaction of elements that, when combined, produce an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual parts.  Therefore, synergy is a joint action that increases the effectiveness of each member of a team.  Synergy is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he chose His twelve disciples.

From a large pool of disciples who were following him, Jesus designated only twelve men who would become his disciples.  This was such a significant decision that the Lord prayed all night to prepare for it (Luke 6:12-13 & Mark 3:14).

Jesus knew that this was the team that would be with Him for the rest of his ministry, and He was prepared to pour Himself unreservedly into their lives.  Jesus’ actions, the unshakable reality of the resurrection and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit turned a group of men who were characterized by confusion, infighting, and self-interest into a genuinely synergistic team.  Today the church (the body of Christ on earth) is not an organization but an organism that manifests both unity and diversity. 

What does Ephesians 4:4-16 tell us about the dynamics and purpose of this organism, and what do 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 andRomans 12:3-8 tell us about how spiritual gifts contribute to the effectiveness of the groups of believers?

The mark of a great leader is how many great people will join his or her team. King David’s team was comprised of “mighty men.”  Because David attempted mighty things, only the mighty could keep up with him.  Those who could not keep pace could not join the team.

Don Bennett was the first amputee to climb Mt. Rainier.  His testimony is simple – if you try such a feat with only one leg, “you can’t do it alone.”  However, Bennett understood that not just anyone could help.  Bennett did not recruit his helpers in a nursing home.  He built a team of people who WANTED to climb a 14,410-foot peak and who COULD climb a 14,410-foot peak.  One who attempts mighty feats had better be capable of recruiting a mighty team.

David did just that. 

Read More

I’m enjoying our time together as we discuss and discover leadership from a servant’s perspective.  If this is your first time with us, check out Session One: “The Best Kept Leadership Secret” by reading Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 .

Last week I began Session 2 – The Power of Being a Servant-Leader. If you haven’t read it, you can do so HERE.  Friday’s session ended with me sharing the consequences of not having a servant-leader attitude.  Again, if you haven’t read it, you can CLICK HERE and read it NOW.  Today, let’s take a look at David’s heart - the right attitude towards servant-leadership.

A Servant-Leader has a Different Heart Attitude

By contrast David is someone who breathed and lived a servant- leader attitude. Even when he faced Goliath as a puny shepherd boy he led with his heart. In taking out the giant he would be serving his nation.

A servant-leader understands that the right heart attitude is vital to achieving success. In the Psalms, David constantly asked God to search his heart and grant him wisdom.

By being a servant-leader David built up an army of loyal followers. David rarely thought he was entitled to special privileges. David never sought to elevate himself, instead it happened naturally. This is the influence that results from a servant-leader heart attitude.

A servant-leader is someone who is secure in themselves. Success is often not as a result of the individual’s talents but because of their ability to create a successful team. Like David servant-leaders serve confidently and lead successfully. This is the power of a servant-leader.

Further Reading Inspiration and References:

Scripture verses:

• The heart of a servant-leader – 2 Samuel 22:36
• Jesus teaches about being aservant-leader – Mark 10:42-45
• The demise of someone who is not a servant-leader – Ester 7:6-10
• God rejects a non servant-leader – 1 Samuel 24-26

Other Reading:

• The Heart of Change – John P. Kotter
• The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – John C. Maxwell
• Becoming a Person of Influence – John C. Maxwell